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On September 10, 2022, Al-Sahab, the media arm of Al-Qaeda Central Command released a message marking the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, titled "Gains – The Day Of Criterion, The Day Of Badr, And The Criterion Of The Age On The Day Of September."
The eight-page message, which did not include the name of the author or leader, glorified the 9/11 attackers and depicted the attacks as an extension of the Battle of Badr, a battle lasting several hours that took place in the year 624 between a small group of Muslims led by Muhammad and a larger group from the tribe of Quraysh, resulting in a decisive Muslim victory. The message highlighted the impact of 9/11 on the United States, suggesting that the attacks were the beginning of the U.S. collapse on all levels.
9/11 Attacks As An Extension Of The Battle Of Badr
The message, which has a similar style to those prepared by slain Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul on July 31, starts by underlining the significance of the Battle of Badr, saying that despite the long record of victories in Islamic history, Badr has special importance due to the scarce resources of the Muslim fighters at that time, who were mostly equipped with their faith and courage.
After a lengthy description of the Battle of Badr, the message addresses the significance of 9/11, stressing that it has a similar impact on the global course of events.
Citing American author Paul Kennedy, who allegedly wrote that 9/11 was a turning point in shaping the events of the 21st century, the message asserted that "America will never return to what it used to be before the collapse of its biggest icons: the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S Department of Defense – the greatest power in the human history, and the World Trade Center, a skyscraper that represents its economic hegemony, and the frightening financial dominance of American capitalism."
The 'Timeless' 9/11 Attacks Were Unexpected
The message argues that the importance of 9/11 attacks lay in the fact that they were totally unexpected. "The attacks hit America in a place that it had never considered or expected." Recalling the day of the attacks, the message highlights the leadership of slain Al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, saying that the American press reported on the day of the attack that "a Muslim called Osama Bin Laden, in the farthest corners of the earth and in its forests, threw four spears [i.e., airplanes] from Kandahar to Washington and New York, and three of these spears hit America's military and economic hearts."
It further boasted that 9/11 killed more people than those killed in Pearl Harbor attack. Glorifying the impact of the attacks, the message describes them as "timeless Islamic conquest that the whole world watched on live broadcast," adding that "the world has not seen or heard like them before, militarily or strategically."
9/11 Attacks Ignited Strife Among The Crusaders
Elaborating on the impact of 9/11, the message argues that it ignited an internal conflict among the "Crusaders," saying that both Western Europe with its Catholic majority along with Eastern Europe and its Orthodox majority, tried to exploit the attacks "to take down Protestant America" from the leadership of the world.
The message further boasted that 9/11 dealt a heavy blow to the American intelligence community, saying that it cast doubts among the American people and the world about the efficiency of their intelligence services.
"What made the Americans and others wonder: What if this attack was launched by a superpower or even terrorists who possess lethal weapons such as nuclear or bacterial weapons!"
Discussing the economic impact of the attacks, the message underlined that targeting the World Trade Center "paralyzed the global and American economic system."
Poem Praising 9/11 Attackers
The message said in conclusion: "I do not think that anyone, regardless of their analytical skills imagined that nine knights were capable of destroying, 6,000 disbelievers in the country that is well-known for its satellite capabilities and central intelligences, and a producer of accurate spying devices." Praising Allah for granting the 9/11 attackers success in implementing the attacks, the message concluded with a poem praising their bravery that led to a unique assault that humiliated the "American-Crusader arrogance."
The publication included a photo of a forthcoming book by slain Al-Qaeda veteran Abu Mohammad Al-Masry titled "9/11 – Between the Truth And Skepticism."
[1] Genews, As-Sahab, September 10, 2022.
